How to Fix Folders Turned into Shortcuts

PAGE CONTENT:

Phrase 1. Remove Shortcut Virus [3 Ways]
Phrase 2. Restore Data After Removing Shortcuts

The folders saved on your computer hard drive, external hard drive, USB, or SD card suddenly turning into shortcuts is a frustrating issue. This problem can occur due to various reasons, such as file system corruption, incorrect file associations, or malware infections.

When you open your USB or hard drive partition in Windows Explorer, folders suddenly turn into shortcuts, and saved files become inaccessible, your device has been infected with the Shortcut virus.

Folders turned into shortcuts

Overview of Shortcut Virus Infection

The shortcuts virus is a type of malware that infects devices and creates duplicate shortcuts of folders, hiding the original files and folders. This virus can spread to PCs, USB drives, memory cards, and other removable storage devices, causing issues and data loss.

Your computer may be infected with a ransomware virus. This type of malware encrypts your files and demands payment in exchange for the decryption key. To remove the virus, you can try booting your computer in safe mode and then using an antivirus program to scan and remove the malware.

If your folders have suddenly turned into shortcuts, don't panic! Many users who've experienced this issue have found a solution. We'll show you how to fix folders turned into shortcuts without losing data.

Phrase 1. Remove Shortcut Virus [3 Ways]

You can restore encrypted folders from shortcuts using one of three methods. Each method allows you to convert the shortcut file into the original file, making it easy to access your encrypted data.

Method 1. Clear Shortcut Virus with Antivirus Software

The most effective and easiest method to remove the shortcut virus is to apply antivirus software for help.

Here is a list of highly ranked antivirus software that can clear this virus from your PC and storage devices: McAfee, Norton, Kaspersky, Avast, and Bitdefender. These software options are highly rated and can effectively remove viruses and malware from your computer and storage devices.

Shortcut Virus Remover
Shortcut Virus Fixer
USBFix
Hitman Pro

To remove the virus from your device, you can search online for reliable software that can help you eliminate it.

Method 2. Run attrib Command

When seeking help on how to fix folders that have been changed into shortcuts, experienced users often recommend using the CMD command prompt as a solution, which can be effective in removing the shortcut virus and recovering data.

Step 1: Create a Notepad document on the Desktop of your computer.

Step 2: Copy these content into the Notepad and save the file.

attrib -r -a -s -h /s /d del /f /s /q *.infMKDIR autorun.inf\Kill........\ attrib +r +a +s +h *.inf /s /d

Step 3: Close the notepad document and rename it as "UPAN.cmd". (.cmd is the file extension.)

Copy the file to the device where your folders became shortcuts.

Step 4: Double-click the .cmd file and run it. Wait for the process to complete.

The shortcuts will be removed, and you should be able to access the folders and saved files again.

Method 3. Show Hidden Files

Changing the File Explorer settings allows you to view files and folders that were previously hidden by a shortcut virus, making it easier to identify and remove the affected shortcuts.

Option 1. Show Hidden Files and Folder in File Explorer

Step 1:Connect the device with the folder turned into shortcuts to your PC, and then you can access the device's files from your PC.

Step 2:Open Windows File Explorer and navigate to the USB or hard drive partition with shortcut folders.

Step 3: Go to the "View" tab and uncheck "Hidden items".

Show hidden files and folders.

Option 2. Show Hidden Files with Windows Control Panel

SteTo access the File Explorer Options in Windows, open the Control Panel, locate the "File Explorer" option, right-click on it, and select "Open".

Step 2:To view hidden files and folders, go to the View tab, select the Hidden files and folders section, and check the box that says "Show hidden files, folders and drivers".

Show hidden files from shortcut folders.

: Click "OK" to confirm.

To view hidden files and folders, you can use the command `ls -a` in the terminal. This will list all files and folders, including hidden ones, in the current directory.

Phrase 2. Restore Data After Removing Shortcuts

After removing the shortcuts from your device, you can open the folders to check if the data are securely saved there. This will confirm that the data was successfully transferred and saved in the intended location.

If the data are still inaccessible, or you can't see any saved data, don't worry, you can recover lost data after removing the shortcut virus by following the steps in the previous answer.

First, download professional data recovery software

Qiling file recovery software is a tool that allows users to scan and restore files lost due to deletion, formatting, or virus attacks.

The software provides a feature to recover files that have been hidden or removed by the shortcuts virus, allowing you to restore them to their original location.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Next, perform full data recovery

To restore data from a device after removing shortcuts folders, you can use Deep Data Recovery. It only takes 3 steps:

Step 1. Select file types and click "Next" to start

Launch Deep Data Recovery, select file types, and click "Next" to initiate the process.

Select file types that you want to recover

Step 2. Select a drive and start scanning

To recover lost data, hover over the partition where the data was lost, and click "Scan" to initiate the recovery process.

Step 3. Check and preview scanned files

To narrow down the scan results, use the file format filter on the left or upper right corner. This will allow you to find the specific files you need. Once you have filtered the results, you can preview the content of a file by clicking the "Preview" button or double-clicking on the file. This will give you a quick look at the file's content without having to open it.

Step 4. Recover lost data to a secure location

To recover lost data, select the file, check the box next to it, and click "Recover". It's best to save the recovered data to a different disk than the one where it was lost.